The death of today
by Arithese
Summary: Damian and Dick are pushed out of a plane above the middle of the ocean, no one knows where they are and they are both seriously injured, but they have to keep swimming if they want to avoid drowning and survive. One-shot


Wally - 25 years  
Dick - 23 years  
Tim - 17 years  
Damian - 12 years

June 26th, 2020. 16:45

"Robin!" Nightwing hisses, striking another enemy but stumbling as another one hit him.

"Focus" Robin in turn grumbled, releasing the arm of the crook, the bone broken in multiple places right now but the man still breathing. Nightwing didn't respond, tackling the goon to the ground and knocking him out with a powerful kick.

This time it was Robin who stumbled, but for another reason. They knew they were inside of the plane, so they were trying to lose them any means possible, either by making goons fight them, or turning the plane in such ways that they'd fall out of the open door, right into the ocean, not caring if their own goons were gone as well.

One had already fallen out of the plane, and Robin was determined not to be the second one but they kept pushing him in the direction of the door.

He gritted his teeth, really wishing he could just put a sword through their chests, but he had promised his father a long time ago, he wasn't the same person he was 2 years ago, and he wanted to prove it. Didn't mean he felt sorry for hurting the goons. If it meant keeping him, and most importantly Nightwing, safe.

"We have to close the door Nightwing!" Robin shouted, ducking as someone whipped out a gun.

They were carrying valuable cargo with weapons that were just sold near the mountain, which is why Nightwing and Robin were so quick to intervene. But they were too slow to stop them from taking off in the first place. So they were up and above the ocean, no communicators or trackers and no parachutes and too many goons to face off.

And suddenly Robin screamed as a solid kick landed in his stomach and he stumbled backwards, trying to regain himself but quickly a goon ran towards him, giving him another push and suddenly he felt the floor disappear from under him, the wind pulling him out and the gravity pulling him down.

He screamed again.

"Robin!" Nightwing screamed, eyes widening as he saw his little brother fall out of the plane. He pushed himself off the ground, flipping over the goons that had separated them from each other.

"Catch your bird Nightwing" One of the goons grinned and Nightwing gritted his teeth. He reached for his belt, shooting the grappling hook and immediately jumping out of the plane. He retracted the hook again, pulling the bag towards him and struggling to put it on.

Robin was still falling, spreading out his body and using his cape to slow himself down while Nightwing was desperately making himself as small as possible so he was falling faster, to catch up.

He was falling too fast to slip on the backpack, the wind preventing him. Robin reached for his belt as well, shooting the grappling hook as well and latching it onto Nightwing's ankle. Robin and Nightwing were simultaneously pulled towards each other. Robin slowing down and Nightwing only pulled down even faster.

"Hold on!" Nightwing screamed, feeling Robin latch onto his leg while he reached for the parachute, opening it.

And it was then, that Nightwing understood why nobody had grabbed that particular parachute. Holes were in the fabric and immediately wind caught on, jerking Nightwing to the side. The sudden movement surprised Robin and with another cry he slipped, falling again just seconds before the parachute slipped from Nightwing's hold.

It was two more seconds before Robin hit the water, and another second before Nightwing did.

They never heard the sound of bones breaking.

Damian groaned, shutting his mouth instinctively and pain attacked him at once. He felt pain race up his spine, his chest. His mind swirled, and he desperately lashed out, already too dizzy to make out what was _up_. His mouth opened and he felt water invade his mouth. Before he knew it something latched onto his shoulders.

Both brothers gasped as they broke the survive.

"Damian?!" Dick gasped, coughing up water himself and clutching his chest with one hand. Damian was hacking up his lungs, sea water and vomit coming out of his mouth and staining the water they were currently swimming in.

" _Fuck_ " Damian swore under his breath, voice raspy and for once Dick didn't try to correct him. The biggest reason was the overwhelming pain he was feeling as well. His leg and ankle throbbed badly and he knew it was broken badly. His chest felt restricted and he knew at least a few ribs had to be broken.

"Injuries" Dick weakly called out, struggling to keep both himself and Damian above the water. Damian had stopped hacking up his lungs and was now slowly trying to swim as well.

"Ribs" Damian gritted his teeth, voice wavering as pain and the lack of air restricted his speech.

"Swim" Dick gasped, going under for a split second at the combined weight of holding Damian _and_ himself up. Immediately Damian kicked out himself, trying to keep himself afloat. His ribs flared up, making him nauseous and for a second he felt himself slip under the water as well, dragged upwards by an arm.

"Stay awake" Dick hisses, ignoring the pulsing pain he felt himself. Slowly the pain spread for both of them and both realised that they had more injuries than they'd thought initially. But both couldn't tell exactly, everything was hurting right now, and they were only concerned to stay afloat and not drown.

"Trying Grayson" Damian retorts, glaring behind his mask.

"No breather?" Dick asks and Damian glares at him, which answered Dick's questions, he didn't have something. Or he would've grabbed it already.

Damian gritted his teeth, feeling his arm go numb with pain as he continued to keep himself afloat.

"They're l-looking f'r us" Dick tried to assure him, weakly kicking out to stay afloat but his leg was numbed by the pain almost and his head was heavy and throbbing with pain.

Damian didn't respond, tipping himself backwards so he was floating on his back and using his one arm and legs to keep himself on top of the water. His throat burned from vomiting and the water he had inhaled but he just closed his eyes, trying to breathe properly with the obviously broken ribs he had.

Dick refused to shut his eyes, concentrating on keeping himself afloat _and_ making sure Damian would not sink as well. He could tell Damian was in a lot of pain, more than he was. Which wasn't weird because he let go earlier of the parachute, and he was younger. His body was more vulnerable.

And he wasn't sure if either of them would survive if no one was coming for them very soon.

June 26th, 2020. 18:04

"Grayson" Damian hisses again and Dick sluggishly opens his eyes again, feeling his ears dripping water from going under slightly _again_.

"M'sorry" He mumbles, looking at his younger brother. Unlike his own hair, Damian's hair was still dripping wet. He was slipping more and further into the water. He tried to hide it all costs but Dick could see the exhaustion that was wearing Damian down, pulling him under from time to time.

Dick could feel the pain and exhaustion as well, he just hoped that someone would notice. They saw them leave the mountain right? Wally had been there as well. He just hadn't made it onto the plane. But he had surely run across the ocean to wait for them on the other side, contacted Batman and he would search the sea.

And right now he was just glad they hadn't been going to Europe or across land, he wouldn't've survived that in the first place. They were going to an semi-island in Canada instead. They would be found, the distance wasn't that much..

As if on cue a figure suddenly shot past them, immediately turning around before literally falling through the water as the red figure came to a stop.

"Dude you're alive!" Wally exclaimed, kicking his legs to stay afloat and swimming the short distance he had lost. Dick had never been so happy to see his best friend's red suit.

"Wally" Dick weakly called out, slipping slightly again but Wally hooked his arm under his armpit, hosting him up. "Help Dami" He said and Wally turned, reaching out for the current Robin and holding him up as well.

Damian didn't even complain at Wally helping him, nothing personal against the redhead because Damian could actually get along 'great' with the speedster. He saw how important Wally was for Grayson, and because of his own past he didn't press Damian for which he respected him.

But he just didn't like admitting defeat, admitting he needed help from anyone besides his family. But right now the pain pulsing through his entire body, the lack of oxygen and the fear of actually drowning made him keep his mouth shut.

"I'm letting you go for a sec okay?" Wally asked, carefully releasing Dick for a quick second to activate his ear piece. "Flash, Batman, track my locations, they're alive but injured. I don't think I can keep them _both_ above the water for long" There was a hint of panic in Wally's voice and he hooked his arm under his best friend again.

"I'm on my way kid" Barry responded while Batman said the same. Though he knew Barry would be here first. And true to his word Barry made it to them within a few minutes. The other Flash plunged into the water again the moment he stopped running. He might be able to run on water but without his speed…

Barry immediately swam towards them, taking Dick from Wally, as Barry was stronger and Dick heavier. Almost immediately Dick slumped in Barry's hold, completely exhausted and pain getting to him.

"Can you tell me what's hurting?" Barry asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Leg... ankle, rib.. uhm.. ever'thing hurts" Dick mumbles, coughing after he finishes. "Dami?"

"Out cold" Wally grimaces, holding the 12 year old boy above the water. True to his words Damian's eyes were closed and his head had rolled backwards against Wally's chest, covering the red material of his suit. "Try to stay awake"

Dick nods slowly, struggling to keep his eyes opening.

It was another 10 minutes or so before the batplane was seen on top of them. Immediately a gurney of some sorts was lowered, Red Robin descending along with it.

"How are you holding on?" He asks and Dick smiles weakly at him, limp in the water.

"Just fine Tim"

The boy grins slightly at the comment but worry is still evident. He turns to Dami, reaching over the moment the gurney hit the water. Wally understood, swimming over and helping Tim drag Damian out of the water and onto the gurney.

"Your turn" Wally nudged Dick gently, helping Barry and Tim to get him onto the Gurney as well. Dick groaned in pain, feeling Tim's comforting hands on his shoulder and chest to keep him in place. It was a little crowded on the gurney but Damian was small and Tim was standing, so it wasn't a problem. Two more people however..

"Batman will throw out a ladder, is that okay?" Tim asks, looking at the two speedsters, who both nod.

"Get them up first" Barry speaks and Tim nods, looking up and feeling the gurney move again as the three of them were lifted. As promised, a ladder fell down from the batplane, and Barry gestured for Wally to climb up first, who did so. The two speedsters quickly made their way into the plane, Barry quickly closing the door behind him.

He turned around, immediately met by the sight of both Tim and Bruce crouching down next to their two sons.

"How are they?" Barry asks as Wally speeds over to them, helping Tim with removing Dick's uniform while Bruce did the same for Damian. Neither of them answered as no one really knew the extent of their injuries with their uniforms stills stuck to their bodies from the water, effectively hiding the injuries.

Wally gasped as he pulled off part of Nightwing's costume, revealing his legs. They were a mess. Both ankles were so obviously broken and either under leg was broken as well. The right one just below the knee and the left one just above the ankle. His legs were red as well, already turning a shade of blue.

And he knew that it would eventually resemble the colour black by the force that his legs had to have endured.

His upper body wasn't that much better. Although not visible, he knew his best friend had some broken ribs, his chest colouring as well. His wrist on the left was broken as well and his collarbone didn't seem right either. But the steady rise and fall of his chest put all of them at ease, just slightly.

Both were passed out right now, which was probably for the best. Damian sustained injuries as well. He had his legs were broken as well. His left on his upper and lower leg, and on the right his ankle. His chest met the similar fate as Dick's, but Bruce could feel many more breaks than Dick had.

And he didn't know whether it was from the unfortunate place he fell on, his chest while Dick fell at a 45 degrees angle, or that he was younger. Probably both, but that didn't change the fact that both were injured and in a lot of pain, despite being unconscious.

"We have to go home, his ribs weren't okay when I held him" Wally said as he gestures to Damian's already colouring chest.

"I can feel numerous complete fractures here, at least 7… 8 already" Tim correctly himself, still tending to his younger brother. "How's Nightwing?"

"Three fractures I think" Bruce responds as Barry helps him splint both ankles, and his right leg at his knee as well. The wrist was already wrapped but they couldn't do much for his collarbone right now.

"Will they be okay?" Barry asks worriedly but Bruce nods with a pained expression.

"Clean breaks or fractures, I think they will be"

June 26th, 2020. 23:54

"What's the damage?" Wally immediately asks as Bruce walks out of the room. Bruce, still wearing his Batman outfit minus the cowl, looks up with pained eyes.

"Dick sustained 4 fractured ribs, 2 broken and 4 more bruised. Both ankles were broken, right knee and left leg as well. Left wrist broken and a hairline fracture in his right ulna, as well as a broken collarbone. And he's bruised really badly." Bruce explains and Wally grimaces at the mention.

"And Damian?" He asks.

"10 broken and 3 fractured, his left femur is broken and his right ankle as well as his collarbone in two places. And there were fractures in his sternum and humerus, heavy bruising as well. They're both in a lot of pain" Bruce tells with heavy voice. "From what Dick told me, that parachute saved their life"

Wally looked up, frowning.

"Robin was kicked out of the plane and Nightwing jumped after him with a parachute. The parachute was already damaged and didn't stop their fall, but it slowed them down significantly. Dr Leslie said they wouldn't have survived a fall that high without it"

Without really thinking about it Wally places a hand on Bruce's shoulder, smiling gently. Bruce doesn't look up but Wally can feel a bit of tension leave Bruce's body.

"This isn't your fault Bruce, you weren't even remotely close to the mountain when it happened" Bruce grumbles at Wally's words, knowing it in his head, but not in his heart.

"You should know better now you are a father yourself Wallace" Bruce points out and Wally chuckles.

"Perhaps" He grins, looking up at the man. "I now get why you were so overprotective of Robin all the time, I mean I trust Artemis and Irey and Jai are cured* but... " Wally stops himself, shrugging but Bruce nods with a look of understanding on his face. He understood what Wally was trying to say.

He understood that Wally was still worried about his kids.. Artemis was more than capable of handling the twins, even despite them having superspeed. He felt the same way back when the team was formed, when he saw Robin going off alone with other teen heroes. And he was worried now as well.

"Can I see them?" Wally asks after a rather awkward silence and Bruce nods.

"Dick's awake" Bruce only says, walking ahead. No need to warn Wally about being careful or quiet, because he fully knew that and after all, this wasn't the same 15 year old Wally who got his son into trouble everywhere they'd go. He was an adult now, a parent even. And he had trusted Wally with his life for 12 years.

Wally nods, silently walking into the room. Tim was sitting on Dick's side, looking at his big brother with worried eyes. Wally quickly walked up to the kid, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You doing okay?" He asks and Tim snorts.

"You're asking me?" He asks, looking at Dick, and Wally shakes his head with a laugh, knowing Tim was just worried and probably missing three nights of sleep.

"Don't be cranky cause you haven't been sleeping" Dick whispers in a raw voice, eyes half open.

"Darn right" Wally laughs and Tim allows himself to smile slightly, rubbing his eyes. "I'll watch over your big bro, have been for the last 13 years" Wally says, nudging Tim gently. The former Robin watches Wally warily but stands up after a few seconds.

"How are you feeling?" Wally asks as Tim is out of the room, allowing himself to be worried openly.

""will be fine" Dick slurs with a tired smile and Wally chuckles at the sentence.

"Of course you are" He shakes his head, looking up to the other side of the bed to watch Damian. "Remember when we were in the same bed 9 years ago?" _When they were both kidnapped because they wanted ransom from Dick. Dick received a concussion, while Wally was near starved_.**

"Fun times" Dick laughs and Wally shakes his head.

"I hate seeing him like this" Wally suddenly mumbles, and Dick carefully turns his head to the side to look at Damian, a worried expression on his face.

"Me too.. he doesn't deserve this." Dick whispers, voice still raw. "Despite what people think of him.." Dick stops himself with a wince, coughing weakly and painfully. Wally puts a hand on Dick's uninjured shoulder, or collarbone actually, to stop him from continuing.

"I know Dick" Wally assures his still best friend. _If anyone understood, it was Wally._ They both grew up in abusive households, of course Wally's situation could never be compared to Damian's, it was like comparing a scratch with an amputation, but Wally understood how the abuse Damian had gone through had shaped his personality.

Both boys suddenly look up when there was a knock on the door, the door opening slightly.

"Wally? Dick?" Artemis calls softly and Wally smiled, rushing to the door, opening it fully to reveal his wife and two kids, still the same as he last left them. Still 12 years old.* "Bruce called me, told me what happened"

"Uncle Dick?" Jai asks, rushing over to the injured man with superspeed. Dick smiles upon seeing the not so little boy anymore, trying to reach out for his unofficially adopted nephew.

"I bet he has no idea how creepy that sounds" Wally snickers to Artemis, walking over to his son and sit down next to him, before Artemis could whack him upside the head.

June 27th, 2020. 07:12

"Grayson?" Damian slurred, cringing and blinking his eyes open, only to see the blonde archer instead. "W-wher-" Damian starts but stops, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment and swallowing thickly.

"You don't want to know where he is" Artemis says, bringing a straw to Damian's mouth, who takes a sip of cold water to soothe his throat before glaring at Artemis.

"I do as a matter of fact" Damian glares, voice still scratchy the water but Damian refused to take another sip.

"In the shower, with Wally" Artemis says after a second, a smirk on her face and Damian's face scrunches up again.

"Fool" Damian grumbles under his breath, wincing as pain shoots up his side.

"I told you" Another voice snickers, and Damian snaps his head towards the door, revealing Wally pushing Dick inside the room in a wheelchair. Dick's hair was still damp but he looked better, apart from the heavy bruising still, and the numerous casts.

"I leave for 15 minutes and you wake up. Dami!" Dick cries out comically, voice a little bit better but still scratchy.

"Well maybe you should not have left in the first place" Damian points out with a glare and Dick beams.

"You missed me" Dick laughs as Wally stops him at the other side of the bed.

"I did not Grayson"

"He asked for you when you woke up" Artemis points out and Damian glares at the archer but Artemis just smiles as she knew that Damian liked her and looked up to her. Having a similar upbringing couldn't hurt either.

"I knew you cared" Dick grinned, hissing in pain as Wally lifted him onto the bed. Damian just grumbled, looking up to avoid looking at either adult. "Hey, I'm glad you're okay" Dick continues, nudging Damian with his uninjured arm. _Relatively okay_ , if you rule out almost drowning for almost two hours, or being more black and blue than skin coloured.

Damian clicks his tongue, and Dick pokes Damian again with a sly smile. Damian grumbled, taking a breath before looking at his brother.

"[Likewise]" Damian said in Romani, causing both Wally and Dick to grin, and Artemis to just look confused at the unknown language spoken.

YJ

*So in the comics, Irey and Jai are Wally's kids with Linda, and because of the speedforce or something they grow really quick until they are stabilised. In my timeline, they were born in 2019, and they've grown until 12 years old in like 6 months until Wally, Barry and Jay managed to stabilise them. So now they grow normally and are like 12 years old.

**See: Erase the Silence.


End file.
